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What is the point of the analogy of the frog population fluxuations?
"Sometimes a mystery isn't a mystery." What does Christopher mean by this?
Christopher points out the amazing way in which all water is and remains connected. How does that relate to the rest of the chapter?
What is Christopher's emotional reaction to the revelation that his mother is not dead? How is his emotional state explained or shown through his own account here?
What are your thoughts about how his father handles the situation here? Does this make his father more or less likable?
72 comments:
When Christopher begins to read the letters from his mother he is confused. He does not realize that his mother is alive, but instead he thinks the letter is from someone else. Later when Christopher reads the rest of the letters, he realizes his mother is alive. Christopher feels sick and goes into shock. It is as if he is mixed with emotions and he shuts down from being overwhelmed. Later when Christopher regains control, he is angered and is scared of his father. Christopher’s father made the choice to tell Christopher everything after this incident. I believe this makes him a more likable character because it shows that he is truly sorry. Christopher’s father realizes, unfortunately it is too late and Christopher has been hurt.
I think when Christopher says that "sometimes a mystery isn't a mystery," he means that there's an explanation out there for everything. The only reason something is considered a mystery is because the explanation hasn't been found yet. For Christopher, many things are a mystery that are not a mystery to everybody else. For example, emotions and expressions on people's faces. This is a mystery to Christopher because he hasn't figured out how to read them yet. The same is true for other people. There are some things that Christopher understands that many others do not, such as his frog example.
Though I strongly disagree with the way Christopher’s father went about the business of his wife leaving him, I could see why he would say she died. For one, it would be a lot easier for Christopher to understand this. Everybody dies; there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It is a natural part of life. However, if Christopher knew his mom had just left with another man, he would not understand why. He has very little concept of love, and would have lots of questions as to why. To him, it would appear illogical and he would have to ponder it for a long time, years even to try and never come up with an answer. As to the likability of his father, I would say it continually decreases throughout the novel. We can see his father slowly deteriorating in patience through these chapters, and I am curious to see what else he knows that Christopher doesn’t.
Christopher reaction to finding out that his mother was not dead, through the letters his father had hidden from him, was expected. He was very confused at first, because no one would believe that their parent that was thought to be dead,was actually alive, but after all of it came together he went into shock and his body shut down. Through the letters written to Christopher from his mother, we find out that the two of them had a strained relationship. His mother says how she always felt unneeded because Christopher always went to his father, because his father was always patient and understanding with him. With this came fighting between Christopher’s parents because his mother was hot tempered and mentally could not handle Christopher and his father hated the fact that she couldn't deal with him. Although she had left him she repeatedly stated how much she did actually love Christopher and would often reminisce about the times where Christopher would play with trains for hours on end or would study the railroad tracks on the map she had given him. I believe that she truly does love her son and is sorry for leaving him in the manner that she had, but she wasn't happy and everyone deserves to be happy.
The most important thing we learn from the letters was that Christopher may see his relationship with his mother very much the same as his with his father, but from his Mother's side it is clear that they were never close. Even though they were never close, it's clear that Christopher cannot handle this well. Despite his "lacking emotions," Christopher really does feel sadness come over him, even if he thinks it is not sadness. The shear fact (see what i did there?) that Christopher becomes ill and loses full control of himself shows how human he is. When Father walks in he realizes that this is all his fault, and this is when the book becomes even more interesting.
Christopher has judged many incidences in his life based on his mother's death. She is dead so her affair didn't matter. She is dead so it doesn't matter what she would think.
Once he finds out that she is, in fact, very much alive and has tried to contact him, he starts out confused. Maybe the letters were an error and meant for someone else. However, he accepts reality and his getting sick and basically becoming numb is a surprising reaction. Most of the time when something makes him uncomfortable, he throws a tantrum. Everything he has known for the past 18 months has been a lie, but he stays fairly calm. I was also surprised by his father's reaction. Although his mother has stated that his dad has more patience with Christopher, I expected him to be a little more mad. After all, Christopher was snooping in his father's room. I think the way that his father handled it made his character a little more likable. But when he admits to killing Wellington and all of the drama from the past, I don't know how to feel about him...
As I read this part of the book, I couldn't decide if I liked or hated Christopher's father. He is a liar. He killed a dog. He said Christopher's mom was dead because he couldn't cope with the fact that she left him for another man. The past 18 months of Christopher's life were pretty much a lie. I liked how he apologized so sincerely to Christopher after he found him lying in puke, ran him a bath, and I like how he didn't get angry when he realized Christopher did "detective work" and found his book and the letters from his mother. But these few redeeming moments didn't make up for how bad of a person I thought he was.
I feel Christopher is smart enough to understand an affair or divorce or whatever it was exactly that happened, when it happened. I understand his father probably wasn't ready to talk about it yet, but he didn't have to lie and say there was an accident and go as far as to say she's dead. That really pissed me off. I know Christopher is a very logical thinker and therefore didn't shut down like many of us would when he heard the news but that's still really messed up.
And even though Christopher's relationship with his mother was a struggle for them both, he shouldn't have done that.
That's another thing, I was angry that she couldn't handle Christopher. It's honestly a form of abandonment. She didn't even talk to anyone about it. She just left.
Christopher's dad was not very smart. First of all, when someone is upset there are so many mature ways for them to cope; killing a dog is not one of them. Secondly, after telling Christopher that he lied about his mom's death, I have no idea why his dad thought it would be a good idea to tell him he killed Wellington too. Christopher's dad made himself a lot less likable, and he lost his son's trust. I understand why his dad wanted to be honest with him, but it was just too much all at once. Christopher is now fearful for his own life and doesn't even feel safe around his dad anymore. Christopher's dad really screwed up.
Whenever Christopher talked about his mother, I thought that they were fine, but it was just his parents that were a big problem. Now, though, I see that Christopher and his mother did not get along even though she loves him very much. However, there were some good memories there, showing that she tried very hard to keep everything under control and to love him unconditionally with the way he is. I'm sure he wasn't thrilled about hearing that his mother had passed, but the revelation of discovering she had an affair with their neighbor and then left the family was probably quite traumatizing. For his inability to make emotional connections, the idea overwhelmed him and he became sick. I'm sure there was some sort of break through in his psychological/emotional state. But who can blame him? That's quite an escalated change in his life.
From the letters that Christopher reads here, I learned that he and his mother didn't have the greatest of all relationships. His mother said herself that he always seemed calmer and more of himself with his father. Christopher's mother was hot-headed, and that combined with Christopher's autism was not the greatest mixture. In order to deal with people with autism, you need to have a great deal of patience like his father. We can tell by some of his memories, like when she went underwater and he freaked out and they touched hands that they loved each other very much and understood each other, but we also can tell from parts of her letter that she would get frustrated with Christopher and not know what to do. Christopher always said that his parents fought, but I don't think he knew how much he contributed to their arguments. It wasn't his fault, but it still hurt them. Christopher and his mother definitely loved each other unconditionally as a mother and her son do, but they also had a lot of conflicting traits.
I learned from the letters Christopher's mother writes him that they did not have the greatest relationship. It seemed from the letters that it was always Christopher and his dad. I think this is because Christopher's dad has more patience and understanding towards Christopher more so than his mother. You can tell his mother wasn't as understanding of Christopher's autism and wasn't something she was ready to deal with. You could tell from the letters, however, that his mom did seem to feel guilty about what she had done. Even though they didn't have the relationship that Christopher had with his dad, you could tell his mother did truly love him. His mother wrote every week, sometimes even twice a week, and she always asked him to write back. She sounded concerned about his life and like she actually wanted to speak to him by reminding him where she lives and to write back.
Christopher reaction to reading the letters was that he was angry and in shock that his father had hid the truth from him all this time, and to Christopher that means that he did not really love him because love is telling the truth. You can tell how he feels because he curls up into a ball, gets sick, and passes out on the floor next to the letters. The way Christopher's father came in and handled everything was probably the way anyone else in that situation would have, angry about what just happened but trying to stay calm and explain yet still confused on what to do next. I would have panicked too if I were him but that still doesn't excuse the fact that he lied and said Christopher's mother was dead and hid the letters and gifts she sent, that was wrong of him.
From the letters that Christopher read it seems that he and his mother really didn't get along. His mother was impatient and less sympathetic to Christopher. But she obviously loved him a lot, which is why she left. Christopher was always much calmer around his father because his father was more compliant and levelheaded when dealing with his son. After realizing this, Christopher's mother left, thinking that Christopher would be much happier this way. Another thing I noticed is that his mother makes some spelling errors in her letters. It was stated earlier that the reason Siobhan helps him is because he has trouble writing. Perhaps they think in similar ways.
Christopher is shocked and confused. His brain is based heavily on logic and he can't seem to figure out an answer that makes sense. He acts a bit like a computer that has been given way too much information, panicking and eventually just shutting down. This is shown by the account that he vomits all over himself and passes out. I think that his father behaved appropriately despite the situation. He tried to explain himself instead of getting angry, and he was gentle when trying to guide Christopher to the bathroom. In my eyes, his father becomes more likable because we are able to see him in a more vulnerable situation. He explains why he did what he did, and we can all sympathize when trying to deal with the repercussions of a snowball lie. In the end both parents did selfish things, but they both love Christopher.
Christopher’s reaction when finding out that his mother was not dead through the letters his father had hidden from him was pretty much expected. I think he was very confused at first no one would believe that their parent was dead is now alive. We find out through the letters that the two of them had a very hard relationship to understand. Christopher liked his father a lot better because he was always more patient and outgoing. While his mother was very angry and just couldn’t handle all that entailed raising him. Christopher’s father couldn’t handle the fact that his mother couldn’t mentally and emotionally handle Christopher. Although she did say she did love her son, but she just wasn’t happy.
Christopher and his mother had a very strange relationship. Christopher caused his mother to leave his father. Christopher is very upset that his father lied to him. He throws up and passes out on his fathers floor. He is very confused and doesn't know how to react. I think Christopher's father handled the situation the only way he really could. He couldn't be mad at Christopher because it was his own lie. If anyone should be upset it should be Christopher. I believe it made Christopher's father slightly more likable. He could have let his anger get to him and took it out on Christopher, but I think he knew that it was not Christopher's fault. He handled the situation like a father should.
I thought that the truth about his mother is what made me not want to put the book down. It was a complete story changer! When Christopher found the first letter addressed to him, he didn't understand if it was real or fake when he read it. But once he found the stash of 40 some letters and he began reading them, he realized that his mother is alive and in London. Not too long after Chris realized this, his father walks in on him and sees that he's read the letters. His father is speechless for a while and begins to explain to him that he lied to him for his own protection and because he didn't know how to bring it up. Chris just sat there in shock as if he was seriously ill. He even allowed his father to touch him and move him into the bathroom for a hot bath. Christopher finding this out affected him greatly and changed his view on both his father and the world.
I find Christopher's reaction to the letters super interesting. He passes out and throws up everywhere. And then, when his father discovers him, Christopher never catalogs his reactions. He merely explains what his father did. It's almost like Christopher isn't even in the room. From what we know, Christopher is not in his right mind, and is probably very out of it when this happens. It's weird that he has a very physical reaction to something that would give most people a very emotional one. Maybe it's the way his emotions manifest themselves.
Also, his father's actions don't really like him more, but they make him more understandable. I still think his father's being pretty selfish in what he thinks Christopher should or shouldn't experience, but I get it. He's a scared parent that wants to protect his kid, even if he's protecting his kid from the wrong things.
I thought the letters were the perfect plot twist for the book. The relationship between Christopher and his mother is a complicated one. They both loved each other, but his mom just couldn’t handle what his condition required. She wasn’t a patient person, and one can only take so much before they explode. Christopher also acted different towards her as opposed to when he was with his dad. His dad made him act calmer. She obviously still loves him and thinks about him constantly. I believe her guilt is also another reason why the letters keep coming. This sounds like the notebook when Allie’s mom kept the letters that Noah wrote to her. When Allie found out her mom had them all she was pretty upset, but not quite in the same condition Christopher is in. I have conflicted thoughts about how his dad handled the whole situation. I obviously didn’t like that his dad was actually the one who murdered the dog, but I don’t necessarily blame him for keeping the letters from Christopher. His dad started the huge lie that his mother was dead out of anger, so he had to keep going with the lie and keep the letters. Granted, he shouldn’t have lied in the first place but the lie was told to ultimately protect Christopher and his feelings. It’s kind of like when a child’s adopted and the parents wait to tell them until they’re older and can understand what being adopted means and when they can understand the situation. I believe Christopher’s father would have eventually told him the truth when he was older and could grasp the situation better.
While I was reading the letters that Christopher's Mother sent to him I felt very shocked and confused as to why his Father lied about her death. As I continued to read I felt almost angry at his Mother because she had left him, but I quickly began to understand why she left. She pretty much felt that she wasn't cut out to take care of a child like Christopher, and that his Father was more capable of doing so. Also because she had been growing apart from her husband and didn't have much of a connection with him anymore. She was still trying to play role in his life, it was just his Father trying to prevent her from making any attempts at doing so. He told her to leave and never return, and he also hid the many letters she sent to Christopher which wasn't the right thing to do. Christopher's Mother had just as much of the right to be in her son's life that his Father had, and she wanted to be able to have a relationship with him. It's obvious she was having trouble watching over Christopher and felt like she would never be able to reach her full potential as a parent, but I can tell she still loves Christopher, and the same can be said for him.
I was relieved when Christopher's Father did show concern for his son after he found out about his Mother. They'd had a small dispute over the book Christopher was writing so I was worried he wouldn't make any attempt to console him or blow it off. He actually was concerned and very sympathetic. Although what he did was wrong, it was his way of protecting Christopher. He didn't want his son to feel as if his Mother was abandoning them for another man and a new life. I think he knew it would be hard for Christopher to understand or wrap his head around so he tried to bury the topic by covering it up with a lie. I don't think his Father is less likable after he handles the situation because he was trying his best. All he really can do is apologize and comfort his son the best way he can. There's also a big difference in the way both Christoper and his Father are acting. Christopher's Father had gotten so upset that it led to the huge argument between the two where he put his hands on his son, but when he discovers Christopher with the letters he immediately shows sympathy towards him. Christopher's attitude changes when we see he lets his Father touch in order to comfort him. This is something that Christopher claims he never lets people do.
From his mother’s letters, one could deduce the Christopher and his mother had an “eclectic” relationship to say the least. It becomes very clear when his mother begins pointing out their violent outbursts towards each other, how they would throw plates of food and cutting boards across the kitchen. Another letter recounts the tail when Christopher’s mother took note of the changes in his behavior between him and herself and her husband. Her reaction, compiled with past bitterness instilled nothing but even more petty jealousy. So much so that she thought Christopher would be better off without her in his life. It is this reaction, and the subsequent affair with Mr. Shears that proves just how petty and jealous Christopher’s mother really is. Anyone could notice that Christopher requires special love, attention, and care—yet his mother does the exact opposite. She treats him with contempt and an extremely hot-temper, which only drives him further towards his father. As a result, his mother turns to Christopher’s father for an explanation, but doesn’t like what she hears. She then runs to Mr. Shears for comfort and expects things to smooth themselves over and Christopher to merely waltz back into her life as if nothing had ever happened.
When Christopher reads the letters from his mother
I started the really see the relationship that they had together. It was a difficult one. Christopher would be a very hard child to deal with, he is not like most children. Children in general are difficult to deal with and require extreme patients. Taking care of Christopher with special needs requires even more patients. Christopher's mother didn't have the patients or understanding to take care of Christopher. In one of the letters she talks about how she took Christopher out Christmas shopping with her. She said that there were a lot of people in the store and that Christopher couldn't handle all of it so he started screaming and knocked over a bunch of glass and broke it. When the worker came to clean it up and Christopher refused to move or stop screaming and she was so cross and so frustrated she just didn't know what to do. She had many incidents like this. She was constantly having a hard time dealing with his tantrums and odd habits. She was always frustrated. She did love him she truly did but it was just to much for her. She felt that she was doing Christopher more harm than good by being in his life.
Christopher's reaction to figuring out that his mother was actually alive did not shock me. He was, at first, very confused and tried every way he could to logically explain the letters. Finally he came to the only conclusion left, that his mother is actually alive. He then had a melt down. His father had lied to him and his mother was alive and it was all much more than he could handle, so he was physically ill and numb. Christopher had, in the past, had other times when he simply could not handle his situation and gotten sick all over himself, it is part of his autism. I think the fact that this upsets him so much shows that he really did love his mother and that her death had affected him quite a bit. He is extremely distraught over the betrayal from his father and the confusion from having a mother again.
The way Christopher's father handles the situation shows that he felt really guilty about lying to his son for so long. It also shows how much he really does love Christopher. He apologizes over and over and then get Christopher cleaned up. This part made me think a lot more highly of him. He didn't get mad at Christopher for snooping or being in his room; he just did his best to help him feel better. I also think it was good of his father to come clean about killing wellington, however, it upset me a lot that he did kill the dog. It shows a really bad side of him and makes me not trust his character as much. I feel bad for Christopher for being afraid of his own father. While I know that he really has nothing to fear, Christopher is confused and distraught over all the information he has taken in and does not feel like he can trust his father anymore.
From the letters, I learned that Christopher's mother was equally as close-minded as he was. She was so unwilling to try to be more patient with him and it eventually drove their family apart. I also get the feeling that she was angry with her life, mostly because of the fact that she was unlucky enough to have a child like Christopher. I think that the frog analogy relates to the falling apart of his family. He explains that somethings aren't as random as they seem (like his mother's out-of-the-blue heart attack) and that sometimes a small constant can make things change in seemingly random ways (Christopher's condition drove the family to it's breaking point after months of varying tension). The quote "Sometimes a mystery isn't a mystery." relates a lot to my previous thought. There aren't mysteries, perhaps just things that we haven't looked at quite in the right way. It suddenly clicks to him halfway through reading a letter that his mother is not dead, that it because he finally saw it from the right perspective and everything fell into place. I believe this will happen with the mystery of the dead dog too.
First of all, what Christopher means when he says, "Sometimes a mystery isn't a mystery" is that on occasions the facts support the reason as to why something is the way it is. Sometimes things just happen because the math or physics supports it. Second of all, in my opinion, the way Christopher's father handles his wife leaving makes him very unlikable. Being honest is one of the best things you can be as a parent, and Christopher is definitely emotionally hurt by his father's reaction. He was trying to keep Christopher safe in the beginning, but it ended up causing more damage to their relationship in the end. I can understand why his father did what he did, but it wasn't the best decision he could have made.
It seems as if when Christopher's mother was around they had a tough time getting along because she was not patient enough to try to understand or work around how he felt and thought and acted. In the letters she apologized for this and for not being more understanding. Also, he described her as being very angry because she got frustrated with him easily. His father is more likable to me at this point because he goes to find Christopher, and then lets him and his mother stay in his house until they find a place to stay. This shows he really does just have Christopher's best interest at heart.
I think that the way Christopher's father handles the situation about Christopher's mother shows a lot about his character. I think that it makes him a more likable character. I think this because of a couple main reasons. One of these reasons is that Christopher's father acted devastated when he saw Christopher reading the letters. This just shows that he loves Christopher, and doesn't want to see him get hurt. The next reason is that he never told Christopher about the affair. This, for at least most of Christopher's life, preserved the way in which he viewed his mother.
Christopher and his mother had a very interesting relationship. Unlike his father, Christopher's mother has a temper as well as a lack of patience. When dealing with children, these attributes can be a little bit challenging to deal with but even more so when you're dealing with a child with a disability. Although this doesn't justify her actions at all, it is extremely sad Christopher's mother was this way. Being that I have such a close relationship with my mother, it's hard to see a different perspective. I do believe that Christopher's mother did love him but he was just too much for her to handle. Again, this does nothing for justifying her actions but it still gives insight to what kind of a character Christopher's mother is.
Christopher and his mother’s relationship wasn’t very good. I find it fitting that the reader figures this out from Christopher’s mother and not him. Christopher probably thought his relationship with his mom wasn’t all that bad. When she writes about how Christopher’s dad was better suited to take care of him it explained why Christopher’s dad hid the truth from him. Christopher finally shows some emotion when he finds out that his mom is alive. He immediately feels sick and passes out. Christopher doesn’t explain how he feels, but he kind of does through his descriptions. He says he feels sick and then wakes up and says there’s “sick” all over himself. Finding this out made Christopher sick, that’s how much it shook him.
When Christopher reads the letters he is confused at first, as any young child would be. At this point he still believes that his mother is dead so he doesnt realize that she wrote the letters. Usually you hear about a child or teenager disliking thier parents but you never hear of a mother disliking her son or state that they dont have a good relationship. I like that this isn't the norm. In these letters you learn a lot about Christopher's mother. Referencing my last post, you learn more about people through what they write rather then by what they tell you. Christopher's mother has a temper and is impatient which I believe contributed to her leaving him. I dont believe that's any excuse but maybe in the long run her leaving will be better off for Christopher. She didnt have patience for him and they didn't have a good relationship so her being gone leaves room for him to have a better relationship with his father. All in all I dont really care for either of Christopher's parents a tun but I favor his father because he makes choices to try and protect him, he also does what he thinks will benefit christopher most.
I learned after reading Christopher's mothers letters that his mom still loves him and wants to get in touch with him. When I first knew about Christopher's mom being alive I thought she left them and would never contact Christopher again, since he was the reason she left his father. But I was pleasantly surprised when his mother wanted him to visit. This made me think that it could have been more than Christopher's fault for the divorce. I also think that Christopher's mother thinks that he hates her since he never wrote her back after all these years. So I am suprised she keeps sending letters even though she hasn't received one response.
Christopher's mother may not have won the award for best mom of the year, but she did love Christopher. It seems they rarely got along, more so because his mother was short tempered and didn't understand him and Christopher couldn't understand her rather than they didn't like each other. We can see that she feels bad about having left him without saying goodbye, especially upon not receiving letters back from her son. Unfortunately for her, she thinks it's because Christopher is angry whereas the real reason is Christopher thinks she's dead. Through how Christopher reacted upon finding out she wasn't dead shows how much he loved her too. He basically goes into shock upon figuring out that, one, his mother was alive, and two, his father had lied to him. For someone who didn't react at ALL when his mother died to actually react, and in a pretty big way, when learning that his mother is alive shows how much Christopher loved her. Also, I felt bad for Christopher's father when he found his son like that, but I admired him for how he handled the situation. He was gentle with his son as he took care of him, and only showed guilt for what he himself had done. Both of Christopher's parents are pretty messed up, one ran off and the other lived a lie, but I really can't feel anger towards either of them, only sadness for what they and Christopher have lived through.
I'm just going to go out on a limb on this, but when Christopher says, "sometimes a mystery isn't a mystery," I think he means that pretty much anything in the world can be solved. Christopher thinks in a logical, methodical manner. He loves to solve problems, puzzles, and mysteries. When he finds a mystery, such as the dead dog, he wants to crack the code and find the answer. Christopher thinks everything can have an explanation.
We learn that Christopher had a really rocky relationship with his mother. She didn't have the patience to deal with the various incidents when you have a child with Autism. We also learn his relationship with his father was much stronger than that with his mother. There were fights about her not treating the kid right and loosing her temper too much on him. Essentially her not being able to deal with him drove her away from her family and she just left him.
Christopher gets really confused and overloaded with realization and blacks out. He throws up, and when his father finds him he's really dazed and just shutdown. His father is even able to touch him at this point, that's how gone he is.
I think that the fact that Christopher's father lied to him about his mother made him less likeable, but I think that becasue he acted genuinely sorry and guilty for what he did it makes him more likeable. He loves Christopher and even though he went about it the wrong way he had good intentions.
I don't like the reason why his mom left though. I agree with the father when he said she was being selfish. She convinced herself to go becasue she felt sorry for herlsef and she loved Roger and she felt guilty. I feel bad for Christopher out of the whole family. He was caught in the dark of his parents bad choices and lies.
Christophers parents are horrible people! First or all Christopher’s dad lies and tells him his mother is dead, and he believes it because she never tries to contact him or see him at all except to send him letters! This book wasn’t set in the 18th century, it was published in 2003 letters are totally outdated! She couldn’t have picked up a phone or got on a plane, or a car, or a train, or a bus? It’s her son and she’s abandoned him! I don’t care how bad of a mother she thinks she was, it would have been better than no mother at all. Not to mention she left Christopher’s father, her husband, to deal with him alone. I’m not saying that she had to stay married to him, but she shouldn’t have left him entirely. We can tell that Mr. Boone knows he’s made a horrible mistake when he sees him with the letter but, what in the world is wrong with that guy? That would be an enormous lie to tell to your son and everyone else you’d ever meet! Did he expect to take the secret to his grave or eventually tell? Does the neighborhood know too? How can they be a part or a secret like that when they see Christopher on a daily bases?
Christopher's father's actions throughout the book have made him very unlikeable. He should have told Christopher the truth about what happened to his mother. Also, when his father hits him, Christopher shies away from him and feels like he can;t trust him anymore. He was very confused after reading the letters that his mother had sent him. He thought that they were meant for someone else. But after reading all of them, he realized that his mother was still alive and was trying to reach out to him. He goes into a state of shock and becomes sad. He may not think hes sad but he really is. Christopher and his mother didn't have the best relationship but once she's gone he realizes that he does miss her being there.
I do not like the character of Christopher’s father. This is not due to him lying to Christopher or killing the dog or anything; it is because he did these things and I still like him. As you can see I’m a bit torn. I do not appreciate the way Mark Haddon wrote this character because I would like to be able to like or dislike a character without switching sides every chapter. After Christopher finds out his mother is alive, his father handles the situation in the best way possible. He is patient in explaining his reasoning and is genuinely sorry for his actions. He is very gentle with his son and takes care of him as he is sick and mentally distraught. Christopher’s father’s actions during this time ALMOST make up for him lying to Christopher in the first place and ALMOST make you forget how much you hated him about ten pages earlier.
You can tell how upset Christopher feels about the letters his father had hid from him because he curls up into a ball, gets sick, and passes out on the floor next to the letters. He was angry and surprised that his father would hide the truth from him all this time. Christopher feels like his father doesn't truly love him because if he did love him he would've told him the truth. His father was angry about what had just happened but at the same time he was trying to keep his cool as would anyone else in that kind of situation. If I were him I would've have panicked too but there isn't an excuse that he can use to cover up that he lied about Christopher's mothers death. That was just wrong of him especially the fact that he lied about it for so long.
From the letters that Christopher's mother had written him, you learn that they did not have the best of relationships. Christopher had always seemed to have a better connection with his father. It wasn't that his mother had not loved him as much, but that she struggled to have the patience and understanding necessary to deal with him autism. You could see that she had felt guilty for what she had done, and the fact that she wrote Christopher a letter every week shows that she truly does still care about him.
I have learned that the relationship between Christopher and his mother was not good according to the letters. They always fought and she never really understood him. She also never really understood how to take care of him because when he would have one of his fits she would just yell at him and that would nothing but make a bigger scene. Then finally she gave up. She thought it would be better for him if she left because she saw how much calmer Christopher was when he was with his dad. She said that she felt like he didn't need her anymore and that she was invisible to Christopher so she left. But after he read the letters I saw how much she really does love and care about Christopher and how she thought she was doing the best for him and the family by leaving. She wrote him every week and least one time so that really showed that she loved him. Even though he never wrote her back she still kept writing to him but little did she know that he never even knew about the letters. The day she left she wanted to come back and say goodbye to Christopher but Christopher’s dad said no. Her wanting to come back and say a proper goodbye also showed how much she truly cared about Christopher even though it didn't seem like it because she was leaving and not coming back.
Sometimes a mystery isn't a mystery. This is true. Sometimes third world countries have diseases and don't have a cure and to them it's a mystery but to more advanced countries like Germany, USA, and Great Britain already have the cure and it's not a mystery for them. It's a mystery to babies when.they first begin to walk but it's not for the rest of us who can already walk. I support what Christopher's dad did. Parent's want whats best for their kids hiding this was best for Christopher. Him and his mom didn't get along as well and I feel like Chris' dad use this as his reason to hide the letters from him.
It is clear that Christopher is very confused while is reading the letters from his "dead" mother. While he is reading them we see that he didn't quite have the same relationship with his mother as he does with his father. Christopher's mother has a temper which doesn't mesh well with his autism. We know that Christopher's mother loves him and Christopher loves his mother, seeing as how he reacted to the letters and that she still continued to write to him even after she left. Their two personalities seemed to butt heads which made it seem like they may have not liked each other at times. Christopher's father, on the other hand, was patient and more understanding, which is more suitable for a child with autism. Although I think their arguments were meant to make the reader think Christopher and his mother didn't like each other, but it needs to be noted that they clearly both love each other. This also does not make his father less like able. I think he was being a little selfish, but he loves Christopher and he doesn't want him to think that his mother left him because it was Christopher's fault.
In this part of the novel, Christopher learns that his mother is still alive and his father has lied to him about her being dead. Christopher’s father thought this was the best route for him, however, once Christopher found out he was crushed. I believe he was mostly hurt that his dad lied to him about his mother being dead. I don’t believe it was right for his father to hide it from him for so long, especially if his mother was sending him letters for years. I also believe that Christopher’s father hid it from him because he was mad at his mother, and didn’t want her to have any connection with Christopher. I believe that both parents were wrong in what they did, whether they were together or apart. Both parents seem to have fought with one another at some point in Christopher’s life to make the situation even worse, and now that they are split, there seems to be a circle of lies between Christopher and his dad. For as much as Christopher’s dad gets mad at him, there is a lot his son should be mad at him for.
Christopher has gone through many emotions in these last few chapters. First he thinks his mother is dead, which he is indifferent about because there is nothing he can do to help her. Then he founds out she was having an affair with Mr. Shears, so he thinks that she didn't love his father or love him either. Then after reading the letters he realizes that his mom does love him but she is a very hot-headed person and couldn't handle his outbreaks, so he feels like a disappointment. He then gets angry with his dad for lying to him and not giving him the letters, even if he was only trying to protect Christopher from being hurt.
I believe they way his father handles the situations the way he does does not necessarily make him more or less likable, it makes him seem more human. Although I personally think it does make him more likable. Christopher's father hid the letters from him and his father realized it was wrong, but he did it because he truly believed that lying to his son was the best choice he could have made in the struggle he was going through. After he knew Christopher found out his mother was actually alive he did the best he could to apologize to his son even if his son didn't acknowledge him at the time. He spoke softly to Christopher and took good care of him, getting him cleaned up and stuff, showing he truly was sorry and didn't mean for any of that to happen. It shows he truly cares for Christopher and has a sweet caring side and this is what makes me like him more.
Christopher's father did a good job handling the situation, but I can't look past the situation altogether. I'm sure he was in a state of shock and despair when his wife said she was leaving him, and even more so when she came back to see Christopher, but saying she died is too far. He should have told Christopher right away that she was leaving, even if Christopher didn't understand or his father was too hurt. I know his father cares about Christopher and tried his best to help Christopher after he found out, but his father would have never been in that position had he told Christopher the truth. Plus, Christopher was investigating Wellington and found out his mom had an affair, the possibility of Chris finding out his mom was alive was certainly plausible. I like Christopher's dad, he's a genuine character, I just don't like his actions or thought process.
Before reading the letters from Christopher’s mother I thought they had a good relationship. When he had mentioned her before it seemed like they had gotten along well. However, this was not the case. Having a child with behavioral problems is very difficult and extremely frustrating. Especially if you have a short temper like his mother did, but I don’t think that she should have just left. Although it is also Christopher’s dads fault. She wanted to come back and say goodbye properly, and he wouldn't let her. Plus, in the letter she mentioned visiting, but again, his father ruined that by lying and saying she was dead. He didn't handle it well at all. A lie like that can never end well.
Christopher is very confused when he reads the letters from his mother. He is so confused that he thinks they are from someone else. Then as he keeps reading all the letters, he realizes that his mother is actually alive. After all of this crazy stuff happens, Christopher then realizes that he is very afraid of his father. He has a good reason to be to afraid of his father too. When Christopher says “sometimes a mystery isn’t a mystery”, I think he means that there is some way or another to explain everything that happens. He means that nothing really goes unsolved in this world, you just have to have the right person working on figuring the mystery out.
It seems like Christopher really likes his mother but his mother has difficulties dealing with Christopher and loses her temper a lot. What Christopher men's by "sometimes a mystery isn't a mystery." Is that most things have an answer to them even if you don't happen to know the answer. I don't think Christopher is equipped to handle strong emotions and this explains why he gets an upset stomach or blanks out or vomits. I don't like how his father uses a lot of profanity around him and I also don't like how he tries explaining the situation to Christopher in terms he clearly wouldn't understand. When his father tries to talk to him its like he doesn't even remember that he's talking to person like Christopher. He continues to touch him and do things that Christopher doesn't like. To me this makes his father a less like able character. He seemed to start off nice and patient with Christopher but I'm afraid he has burned himself out.
I found Christopher's reaction heartbreaking. Throwing up and passing out, it takes a lot to stir up emotions that produce those actions. And the way he buried and hid his feelings when his dad asked him, and he just blankly explained it, it was really sad. He was probably still in shock, and was having a hard time processing his emotions. It's so sad that so many kids have to deal with their parents issues nowadays. I can understand his fathers motives and that he just wants to protect Christopher and keep him happy but it's very selfish of him. It's always worse finding out that not only is there a huge problem but at the same time find out you were being lied to the whole time about it. The truth can hurt, but it hurts a whole lot less than finding out the alternative.
After Christopher read the letters, it was easy to see that he obviously acted better around his dad. Maybe he didn't mean to, but his mother felt like he was treating her differently which made her feel sad and almost abandoned. When she felt like this, she went to Roger for support. Just because Christopher's mother left his father, doesn't mean that she abandoned the family and that she didn't love Christopher any less than before. I was happy to learn that Christopher's mother actually really wanted to become closer with him and rebuild their relationship. When Christopher says, "Sometimes a mystery isn't a mystery," he is saying that there is an answer out there for everything and just because we don't have the means to figure out the answer, doesn't mean there isn't an answer.
I was actually surprised at Christopher's reaction to finding out his mother never died. I expected him (because if precious events) to hit his dad or act out violently. Instead, he just gets very distant and cries. His dad had to really try to talk to him to do anything. Christopher is overloaded with information and shuts down. He turns mad at his dad, and begins to hate him. His dad though, comes clean and tells him what really happened. This makes him less likeable. He blatantly lied to his son about his mother, and his lots from him. His mother still wanted to be involved and talk to Christopher, and explain herself, but he didn't give her the chance, so I don't believe he deserves the chance.
After the letters were read, it can clearly be seen that Christopher clearly cares deeply for her son. Throughout the letters, she is constantly asking for forgiveness from her son for all of the misdeeds she has done in her past concerning him. Despite what is told about her short temper, she admits to feeling great regret in what she has done to harm her son. Also, she states that she was able to tell that he was calmer with his father, and decided that it was the best course of action for her son to be happy. However, this also shows that Christopher's mother decided to give up on her relationship with her husband and didn't wish to deal with her son's "issues" anymore. All of these revelations of his mother being alive leads to Christopher's emotional breakdown. Through this event, we learn that both his mother and father express regrets for having an affair and outright lying to their son respectively.
I like chris' dad more now since he came clean about what he did. Even though he did it to protect chris he knew he was wrong thats why he confessed everything. Even though his mom explained why she did what she did and asked for forgiveness in the letter I think its messed up how she left him because she didn't want to deal with him and his issues.
From the letters, we learn that his mother was incapable of dealing with Christopher's special needs. She was hot-tempered and didn't have the patience for the unique boy. On the other hand, his father was well suited and capable of taking care of Christopher on his own. When he finds Christopher in his room, he handles the situation as best as he could. He did not get angry that he was in his room, but instead was very apologetic. He calmly helped Christopher get up and get cleaned. When Christopher found out that his mother was not dead, he did not have much of an emotional response. He became confused and then became sick. Christopher always tries to use logic to think and not his emotions. That is why he did not get upset with his father, but instead his brain caused him to pass out.
This entire section broke my heart. One reason was because his mother felt like she wasn’t needed in the house anymore and turned to someone else’s arms instead of trying to talk it out or get more help with Christopher. Another reason it was so sad was because Christopher just froze, he didn’t have an episode when his father touched him or even respond when his father talked to him. I felt so sorry for that entire family and their extremely difficult situation. I don’t think this makes him more or less likable, it makes him more human; it shows that his father makes mistakes and isn’t proud of what he has done. He isn’t perfect, but neither was Christopher’s mother and poor Christopher doesn’t know what to do. The man he trusted with everything kept the most important thing from him and he doesn’t know how to react, I don’t know how I would react in that situation.
To me, the way water remains constant represents his mother’s love after she left Christopher. After not hearing from her son after countless letters, her love still remains constant and she doesn’t give up when he doesn’t reply. From these letters I realized that Christopher and his mother did not have a very good relationship. She was short tempered and he pretty much drove her crazy all of the time. She did not have the patience that a parent should have for a child that has autism. I would not blame him for the separation of his parents, because he cannot help the way he is, but the root of the arguments between his parents were about him. The way Christopher’s father hid everything about his mother upset me, but the way he handles the situation when he finds out Christopher read the letters made me like him again. And it makes me happy that they are living together and shows how much he really does love his son.
Based on the letters from Christopher's mother, she left because she was too impatient to deal with Christopher and his father. It takes a lot for someone to leave their husband and child with special needs because they are better off without her, which I respect her for. The frog fluctuation is really interesting, because although some things might be a mystery for us, it's supposed to be that way and is expected. The water being connected is also very interesting because the water we might be drinking could've been drank by dinosaurs and someone in Asia could be drinking it in a month. After Christopher finally figures out that his mother just moved to London with Mr. Shears and didn't die, he had no idea how to react, and I don't think I would either. I'm surprised his father didn't yell at him for looking through his stuff and finding the letters, but I liked how he tries to comfort Christopher.
Christopher's mother loved him but she couldn't handle all his needs. She was easily frustrated, annoyed, and angered by them. But she loved him and wished him all the best. I mean, she still writes letters to him even though he has never written back yet.
I still can't understand why his father would keep all this from him.
And this raises further question, if Mr. Stearns is supposedly living in London, then why would he make the trip to Mrs. Stern's house just to make her upset?
I'm surprised at Christopher's reaction which... doesn't seem to be a reaction at all? He's unfazed but he doesn't say anything when his father shows up and knows that Christopher has been going through the letters. Its different...
Christopher reaction to finding out that his mother was not dead was somewhat expected. He was very confused at first but after all of it came together he went into shock and his body shut down and he was puking and having a break down. The letter written to Christopher from his mother we find out that these two had a stressful relationship. His mother says how she always felt unneeded because Christopher always went to his father. This was due to the fact that his father was always patient and understanding with him. Although she had left him she repeatedly stated how much she did actually love Christopher and would often think about all the times where Christopher would play with his toys for hours or would study the railroad map. I believe that she truly does love her son and is sorry for leaving things the way they were.
My heart broke when Christopher found the letters. I knew that he would be confused - which he was - but I never thought that he would figure that he had a new memory that he was meant to remember. It upset me because he shouldn't have to think he had a memory that he couldn't access. I also felt a hatred towards his mother. The woman claimed that she loved Christopher, but how can someone love another person but leave that person simply because they were too much to care for? Or leave their own child for their own personal benefit and desires? In my opinion, when you have a child and decide to keep it, nothing comes before that child. Not even yourself. You'll put your life on the line before you put your child's. But again, that's just my personal opinion. Then again, she continued to write letters to him even though he did not write back. I found this interesting, but I also kind of wrote it off as guilt filling the woman for abandoning her child and husband.
Christopher once says "a mystery isn't always a mystery" and what I think he means by that is that some things that we don't know, we just say that it's a mystery without really looking into it. It's when you start to look and observe is when you truly find out what the mystery is.
Christopher believed his mother was not alive for so long that when he began reading the letters he did not believe that they were from her. If I were in his position I would undeniably do the same. It is selfish of Christopher's mother to leave as she did, yet to still claim her love for him. I have yet to see how a person can love someone but not be there for them, but I suppose I've never been in her shoes.
I definitely understand now why Christopher’s Father made the decision he did. Besides the fact of Christopher’s mind going blank and him throwing up everywhere, it is obvious that Christopher might never understand this situation with his Mother. Sometimes the relationship between a mother and son just does work out, although not in my situation, but I have heard of it from other friends and relatives. In this case, Christopher requires the patience of an expert. His mother is the exact opposite of patient, and even more of a hot head. If I were Christopher, I would also be shocked and confused by this scenario. The main concern for Christopher though is not dealing with his Mother’s loss, it’s understanding the overall situation. After much brainstorming, Christopher’s mind eventually just goes blank and he passes out. Christopher’s Father dealt with this circumstance in the only way possible at that moment. Maybe Christopher’s Father was right and if Christopher was older and more mature, he might be able to understand. I think that the best way to go about the next scene would be to have the two of them sit down together and talk about the situation together, addressing all of the letters and maybe even calling his mother.
i think that the way in which Christopher's mother writes the letters actually teaches you more about his mother and their relationship then what the letters actually say. because the first letter is just a update then the second letter is like serious and the third letter is desperate. and at that point you begin to realize that she does love chris however its hard to live with chris for extended periods of time because of chris and his special needs. which is understandable for any person to need time away from their family. however she is wrong for cheating on her husband and leaving him and his son. however is it hard to condemn the actions of others without fully understanding their story. there were several things that she did wrong but i don't think that she all and all was wrong. i do disagree with the way she did what she did just not what she did.
as for the father i don't condemn his actions either i merely disagree with the way that he did it. i also disagree with this killing of the dog, because that was just blind anger. and everyone has done something in blind anger once before.i agree with trying to protect his son from a mother that "didn't love him" but i don't agree with telling him that she was dead or keeping all of her letters from him. that was just asking for him to find them. i think that the father is the most likable character in the book because he is just a regular guy whose son happens to have autism. he isn't a professional or a child psychiatrist he does what he does by trial and error. i think that the real bad person in the book is mr shears but at this point we have hardly met him.
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